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Palace Station
The first of the Station Casinos chain, and the closest to the Las Vegas Strip, Palace Station is only about five blocks west of the Sahara. The Palace (opened in 1976) is getting a bit dated, but is still a decent place to gamble, though it's not very large or fancy. The hotel rooms in the "Courtyard" are a bit spartan and aging, reminding you of a Howard Johnson's or Holiday Inn, but they're acceptable, if plain. I haven't seen the "Tower" rooms, but I've heard they're better. Games Limit hold 'em: 2/4. 4/8 with a half kill (the 4/8 has blinds of only 1/2). 6/12 (only spread during busiest times) No-limit hold 'em: 1/2 blinds. Only spread occasionally. Omaha: 4/8. One of the few casinos to offer Omaha Hi, only spread occasionally. Omaha/8: 3/6. Spread occasionally; always an interest list. Game Character: Mostly regular locals, the players are somewhat practiced, though most tend to prefer the lower limits. Rake: Standard Vegas rake: 10% rake, max $4. Plus an extra dollar for jackpot rake. No flop, no drop. Posting: New players need not post. Shuffling: All tables shuffled by standard Shufflemaster machines. Wait Time: Can be anywhere from 0 to 30 minutes or more for a seat. They use the increasingly-standard Bravo poker room management software for handling wait lists. Tournaments unknown. Jackpots and Promotions Standard fixed high hand jackpots found at all the Station Casinos. The standard Station "Jumbo Holdem" Progressive Bad Beat Jackpot also plays (quad 9's or better beaten). Atmosphere Nicely removed from the rest of the casino, the Palace poker room is a literally separate room, on the edge of the property, mostly away from all other gambling noise. Eight 42" LCD televisions adorn the walls, and the staff tries to engender a "just friends" atmosphere, with some success. In the mornings, a free coffee dispenser sits next to the box or two of donuts they have brought in from a local donut shop. All free for the eating. As part of the Station Casinos chain, they have the same cool advanced poker-table setup that all the Station Casinos have: each table has a built-in card reader next to the autoshuffler, and when you sit down, the dealer asks you for your player card, and swipes it into the reader, indicating with a button which seat you are in. The table then has a little LCD display built into it, telling the dealer which player is sitting in which seat, so the dealer can call you by name. The dealer also swipes their own card when they start or finish their down, and the display shows who's dealing too. This helps the Stations track poker hours played with tremendous accuracy, gives the dealer some convenient extra information, and helps them track things like who is seated at a table when a jackpot is hit. Quite nifty. Parking: Plenty of parking, though the spread-out nature of the casino can make it confusing about where to park and where to enter. The best option is to park in the Parking Garage on the west side of the building (not the one on the south). Tables and Chairs: Standard Vegas 10-player tables in decent condition. Decent green felt with good padding and a commit line. Black vinyl armrests with inset cupholders, and polished-wood staging ring. Player chairs are nifty shortbacked padded wheeled chairs that are comfortable, easy to move, and unusual. Smoking: No smoking. Service and Comps Occasional cocktail service (it is pretty far removed from the rest of the casino, and the casino is laid out sort of lengthwise, so it's a long walk from one end to the other). Standard Station Casino comp system - swipe your player's card at the table to earn points for your play. Notes and Links * Visited by MarkT in Nov 2006.